Vladimir Putin to return as President in 2012 elections?

Moscow, Sept 24: Russian current president Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev on Saturday (Today) said that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin should return to the Kremlin in 2012 elections for a new six-year mandate.

In addressing the annual congress of ruling party United Russia, Medvedev said that he was prepared to take on 'practical work' in the government after the March presidential polls. Which could be a hint to be prime minister in a new Putin presidency.

"I think it would be correct for the congress to support the candidacy of the party chairman, Vladimir Putin, to the post of president of the country," Medvedev added.

Since 2008, Medvedev has been extensively working to modernize the country and assured his "readiness to assume practical work in the government" in the future. "If the party wins the elections and I am almost certain of it, if we continue working just as well then I am ready to continue doing real work to modernize the country", he added.

The presidential elections are scheduled to be held in March 2011 and the the candidate of United Russia, which dominates the country's politics, is almost certain to win and control of the Kremlin.

Putin said he and Medvedev had 'long ago' agreed on their future roles in Russia, despite months of suspense over who would stand in the presidential elections.

"I would like to say directly that the agreement about what should be done, what we should be doing -- that we reached a long time ago, several years ago," said Putin.

"I propose that the list of United Russia for the State Duma elections on December 4 be headed by the head of state, Dmitry Medvedev," Putin said.

Earlier, in 2008 Putin left the Kremlin after serving a maximum two consecutive terms as President but carried on as Russia's de-facto number one as prime minister while his hand-picked successor Medvedev served as a sometimes overshadowed president.